Match report: Spurs 3 Brighton 1 FA Cup third Rd (a good day all around)

 

Match report: Spurs 3 Brighton 1 FA Cup third Rd (a good day all around)

I took my girlfriend Janette to this game, the first Tottenham game she has been to. She thought the spectacular monument in front of her was out of this world… but enough of me… 

Janette enjoyed the stadium and its hospitality. I previously had taken her to Portman Road – she is an Ipswich fan (now, along with Spurs). That game was also a spectacular occasion for her.

Janette had stayed at my house Friday/ Saturday, and we drove from there to Tottenham. We got to the ground at 3pm, then went to the Spurs shop; I bought her some stuff (a Spurs shirt and scarf) and then we had a coffee at Sainsbury's.

Once in, she met our group and got very involved. As we all talked, the wine flowed right up to the time we went to our seats. Janette loved it! It was a noteworthy build-up to a great match (as for "great match," well, we scored, didn't we?).

The match

We, as fans, must congratulate Conte on how he has changed the players' mindset since coming to the club. Yes, he still has a long way to go, but I feel confident with him at the helm – and provided Levy and Lewis back him – I can see us going all the way.

Our win over Brighton was our 10th in 17 games since Conte took charge on 2 November.

Under Nuno, we had slipped down the league table, but once Conte graced our turf, we moved back into top-four contention, and we currently sit two points off fourth with two games in hand. On top of that, our victory over Brighton keeps us firmly in contention to get to the FA Cup final.

Harry Kane curled home the opener to give us the lead in the first half before we added a second soon after when Emerson Royal's brilliant cross looped in from a deflection off Solly March.

Yves Bissouma's deflected shot reduced the deficit in the second half, but Kane got a third.

As for Brighton

Neal Maupay had a chance to pull it back to 3-2 soon after Kane's goal, but his shot was weak and went straight at our goalkeeper. That was as close as Brighton came to threatening a late fightback.

Conte's comments after the match:  "To win in an important competition like the FA Cup is so important, it is important for the confidence, important to get a win against a really good team. It was good, Kane scored twice. We had chances to improve the final result, but in the end, I think it was fair."

It has been some time since we enjoyed such success in the FA Cup. We haven't reached the FA Cup final since we beat Nottingham Forest in 1991, and I was there… and what a brilliant day it was! That was 31 years ago.

My thoughts

Conte handed Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur their chance after the third goal went in. But we must focus on Kane and give him full credit for putting the nail in Brighton's coffin. He stopped the seagulls from fighting back and continued his impressive strike rate in the FA Cup. He had two goals added to his 11 (making it 13) in his last 12 appearances in the competition.

Those goals for the Brighton game were at both ends of the spectrum, with his first, a stunning curled finish from outside the box that gave their goalkeeper no chance, while he slid in to scramble our third over the line as Adam Webster struggled to clear following a good run by Son.

The good news about our two injured players

After two-and-a-half months out of action, Cristian Romero was on the teamsheet. On top of that, Son also returned after five games out. He played a crucial role in the opening goal against Brighton.

Our two new signings

Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguay international, came off the bench in the second half to make his first appearance since joining in a £16million transfer from Juventus on deadline day. Granted, he did not make much of an impression in his first outing and received a yellow card for a clumsy challenge in the closing minutes, nevertheless, he will be an asset to us once he gets a few games under his belt.

Bentancur entered the game shortly after Dejan Kulusevski, who joined us on 31 January on an 18-month loan from the Italian giants Juventus.

From how I saw things, Kulusevski was the better of the two new recruits and had chances to run at the Brighton defence as the game grew more open near the end of the game. He should have had an assist, but Steven Bergwijn shot high over the bar.

I am sure that Kulusevski will make the right-wing spot his own in the coming months. It will be interesting to see him dislodge Lucas Moura from the starting XI.

Some other good news, both Gooners and United have already been knocked out of the FA Cup.

In the next round (5^th), we face Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. There will be no replays.

After the game, we all made our way back to the lounge on the second floor and chatted and digested the result. About 11.45 pm, we made our way to the car park (we dropped Mel off in Enfield to pick up his car), and I got to Janette's house at about 1.30ish in the morning. It was a two and a half-hour drive from Tottenham to her house. She will be coming again this Wednesday when we face Southampton in the League.

PS I predicted we would win 3-1 and 3-1 we did. Am I on a roll, or are my predictions just fools gold?

COYS!

All the best, Glenn